For far too long, men and women have been led to believe that freckles should be covered up or hidden. Beauty magazines are dominated with tips and tricks on how to conceal facial and body freckles. However, with stars and models like Emma Stone rising in popularity, freckles are once again ready to take the spotlight.

Freckles Are Not the Enemy

Freckles have long held a bad rap among beauty and skin care professionals. Many unjustly confuse freckles with blemishes or skin imperfections. But unlike blemishes, freckles are a completely natural facial feature. In the most simple term, freckles occur when part of the skin has more pigment than the area around it.

There are two kinds of freckles. Natural, or simple, freckles are what we think of when we picture a speckled face. They are the pin sized markings that usually form in larger clusters. Red heads and light skinned children are more likely to develop freckles because of their inability to absorb prolonged amounts sun exposure. Freckles mostly develop on the nose, cheekbones, and forehead (or any other place sun is more likely to touch). Because of this, those with simple freckles most likely notice that their “spots” disappear or lighten over the winter.

The other type of freckles are called sunburn freckles. Like simple freckles, sunburn freckles are developed from prolonged sun exposure. However sunburn freckles do not fade and can be much bigger in size. They can also be found on both light and dark skinned people.

Freckles do not necessarily mean that anything is wrong with the skin or body. A freckle or larger patches of them is just a sign of your body reacting to sun exposure and/or your natural predisposition to skin pigment changes.

How to Bring Out the Beauty in Your Freckles

Now that you know your freckles are not something to be afraid or ashamed of, you should be looking for a way to play them up. Freckles can be a great accessory for glowing skin all year round. Take a cue from speckled stars like Kat DeLuna and Olivia Munn and play up your freckles with these skincare and makeup tips.

Wear your sunscreen.

If you’re prone to an “outbreak” of freckles in the sunnier months, sunscreen should be the first in your line of defense. While you may be quick to grab those with a fragrant smell or those with more chemicals, avoid these at all costs and go for a more natural sunscreen that doesn’t contain PABA. If you are prone to freckles, chemicals like PABA can damage or dry out your skin creating a bigger issue.

Embrace nude or light makeup.

Want to show your natural freckles but unwilling to let go of your foundation? Don’t ditch your beauty routine just yet. Instead, find a foundation or cream that is light enough to show your speckles while still hiding the bits and imperfections you wish to conceal. Nude cream and tinted moisturizer is the perfect summer and spring addition to your makeup collection. It will leave you with a fresh looking face that can be played up or down.

Peach and gold over pinks and reds.

Brown freckles look best when highlighted by using more peach and golds in your makeup routine. Pink blush and lipstick may clash against the brown tints in your face, but a peachy orange will clean up the look while highlighting your natural freckles. Golds and bronze also add a shimmer to the face while still leaving the focus on the skin tone.

Moisturize!

No good skin care article should leave out the importance of daily moisturizing. Like sunscreen, pick a more natural lotion that contains less harsh chemicals and doesn’t have any added fragrances. Moisturizing will help the skin around freckles stay fresh and prevent it from drying out or developing age spots and blemishes that will make freckles look messy.

Make Your Freckles the Star of Your Face

The number one trick to playing up your freckles is to let them appear natural. Trying to hide or conceal them will only make people think you’re concealing something much worse. Instead of hiding behind harsh chemicals and makeup, let your freckles shine through with natural makeup and basic skin care techniques.